Uruguayan President Signs Trade Agreements with China

Uruguayan President Yamandou Orsi met with Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People on Tuesday, marking a significant moment as he became the first South American leader to challenge the Trump administration’s “Don Roe Doctrine.” During this encounter, they signed multiple strategic trade agreements with the Chinese Communist Party.

In a statement shared by Pool Media, Xi expressed that China and Uruguay should collaborate to create “an equal and orderly multipolar world and an inclusive and universally beneficial economic globalization.”

Xi pledged support for protecting the sovereignty and developmental interests of Latin American and Caribbean nations and emphasized the need to address international instability, along with tackling “escalating unilateral bullying.”

Orsi remarked that the relationship between China and Uruguay has reached an all-time high, stating that both nations should “commit to taking relations to a new level.”

A 150-member delegation, which includes Orsi and several Uruguayan business leaders, will stay in Beijing and Shanghai until Saturday. This trip is seen as a vital test for the “Don Roe Doctrine,” the updated 2025 version of the Monroe Doctrine that asserts U.S. deterrence and control over the Western Hemisphere.

During this period, President Trump made his intentions clear with his actions against Caracas, Venezuela, aiming to capture President Nicolas Maduro.

Following the operation from January 3, Trump asserted that “America’s supremacy in the Western Hemisphere will never be questioned again.” The White House has included references to “possession of critical assets” by foreign adversaries as a breach of U.S. interests.

If Orsi proceeds to finalize the twelve agreements, it may pose a direct challenge to U.S. concerns regarding ownership. These agreements cover an array of sectors, including science and technology, environmental matters, intellectual property, and the meat trade.

By 2025, China is projected to be Uruguay’s largest export market. This meeting is also part of a broader trend, as Western leaders have been increasingly visiting China in early 2026. For instance, Keir Starmer from Britain visited Beijing in late January to discuss enhanced trade cooperation, and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney recently signed a significant trade deal with Xi.

Xi stated, “China is willing to work with Uruguay and other regional countries to deepen and strengthen the building of a China-Latin American community with a shared destiny.”

Efforts to reach the White House for comment were unsuccessful.